The Secret
by MusicISmyLIFE66
Summary: Harry's got a secret and he's desparate to tell somebody, but he's afraid what they would all think. What's Harry going to do?
1. Chapter One The Three Broomsticks

"The Secret"

Chapter One

Harry shook the snow out of his head, as he entered the warm, small inn otherwise known as the Three Broomsticks. The weather was getting colder and colder each day. Even Harry's heavy wool coat, snow pants, two pairs of sweaters, and red and gold scarf couldn't stop him from shivering in the winter weather. He took off his gloves, placing them in his left pocket, before stretching his numb fingers. He scanned the crowded, noisy, smoky room, before a familiar voice called out, "Oi, Harry, over here!"

Harry looked over at the person who called his name. He smiled. He walked over to the table near the beautifully decorated Christmas tree and cackling fireplace, where she was waiting for him. "Hey Cho.", he greeted cheerfully, as he slid into his seat across from her. "Sorry, if I kept you here waiting too long.", he apologized.

"It's okay. I only arrived a few minutes before you did.", she answered, smiling, flipping back her long black hair. "Freezing weather we're having today, huh?"

"You got that right.", he grumbled, before he asked. "Hey, you want me to get a butterbeer for you?"

Cho nodded. "Sure."

Harry left his seat, only returning a few minutes later carrying two foaming cups of hot butterbeer in his hands. "Drink up.", he said, handing her one. He drank his deeply, feeling the liquid, already warming every inch of his body.

"So,", Cho began, wiping the foam off her top lip, "was there anything you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Not really. Just wanted to see how you were doing.", he said, nonchalantly. "I'm just so bored. Ron's away visiting Charlie in Romania with his family, Hermione's in France, and everybody else is home. Why are you staying in school for Christmas vacation?"

"My mom and dad decided to dump me at school for Christmas, while they go on a trip to Hawaii. Pretty nice of them, huh?", she said sarcastically. "At least they mailed me my presents."

Harry smiled. He had gotten a few gifts ,too. Ron had sent him a navy blue sweater with a 'H' printed in red on it stitched by Mrs. Weasley, Hermione mailed him a whole bag of candy canes and chocolate that would last him a month and a moving poster of his favorite sport, quidditch, and Hagrid gave him shiny gold cage for Hedwig. He also suspected Dumbledore had left him that parcel on his bed on Christmas morning. When he opened it, he found a old, bit dusty broomstick that had little, gold words printed near the top 'Express 007'. There was a note that came with it too. It read in narrow, loopy writing:

_Dear Harry,_

_This is another and the very last thing your father left me in my care, hoping that I would pass it on to you someday. He would be proud of how much you've grown these couple of years._

_Take Care and Merry Christmas!_

It was his father's broomstick when he had been at Hogwarts and played quidditch for Gryffindor. That had been the best Christmas present of all. The Dursley's this year had not sent a present at all. Not even a old gray sock or a hanger, like they usually send. Not that Harry cared or anything. 

"So, Harry how much homework do you have left to finish?", she asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Well…I think I just have an 400 word essay to write for Snape and that's it.", he answered. "What about you?"

Cho frowned slightly, before she slowly slammed her head against the table, "I'm such a idiot. I only did a paper for Professor McGonagall. I have at least 3 more essays to write, not to mention do I have to finish learning how to turn a stool into pig, and I only have a week to do it all!", she exclaimed.

"Haha,", he laughed. "That's what you get for doing it all at the last minute."

"Whatever.", she sighed.

Harry studied his Asian friend that sat across from him. Her elbow was propped up to support her fair face that had on a distressing expression. Her long ,black hair was trailing behind her back and had a blue and silver ribbon in her hair that kept her hair out of her face. She was pretty, sure, any person with two eyeballs could see that. Hell, Harry used to have a crush on her a few years ago. They were just friends now. Not best friends or anything, but friends. "Cho?"

"Yeah?"

"You know you're a good friend of mine ,right?", he asked.

Cho let out a smile. "Yeah….", she said.

"And you know that I can trust you to be honest with me and all, but if I tell you something, do you think you can keep it a secret?", Harry asked, his expression going serious.

Cho raised a brow. "Yeah….", she wondered where this was going.

"You promise you won't tell anyone when I tell you this?", he asked. "I mean absolutely no one. No one can know about this until I feel up to telling them."

She frowned. "What's wrong Harry?", she asked concerned. "You know you can tell me anything."

Harry suddenly felt uneasy. His stomach was getting queasy and he hadn't felt this nervous since, well since his first quidditch game. He knew he could trust her. It was much easier confessing this to her then Ron or Hermione. He didn't want to know how they would react. But he had to tell someone about his secret. It had been bugging him for the past two weeks. He felt like his brain was going to explode. "Cho, I think I'm…"

Cho waited. "Yeah..?", she said, hoping he would go on. " I think I'm what?"

Harry's mouth was open, but no words were coming out. He was frozen.

"Harry?"

He recovered quickly and said, "I think I'm going to get another butterbeer. What about you?"

Cho stared at him with confusion, "What?!"

"I think I'm going to get another butterbeer. You want me to get you one?", he repeated.

"Uh…no thanks.", she answered., puzzlement still marked on her face.

"Oh ok. Be right back.", he got up, heading toward the bar.

He had chickened out. He was this close telling her his secret that's been bothering him endlessly, pleading him to tell someone. But he had chickened out.

'Coward', a voice at the back of his mind whispered.

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_You know the deal, you read and review! Please? lol_


	2. Chapter Two Colin and Cho

Thanks to:

Xxgambitxx, Callie(), triquetraperson, thehappydementor, MindGame, Whispyraven, stuckonfanfiction, and harry's4menotu for reviewing! I'm so giddy!

Callie(): how can he be a lesbian..? Unless his secret is that he's secretly a girl and likes girls…..hmm…that would be so weird. lol.

harry's4menotu: maybe...just maybe...or not. or not. wait and see! -sing-songy- voice

Anyway, I feel so refreshed. I just took like four hour nap. I have a feeling I won't be able to sleep tonight…anyway on to the chapter.

Chapter Two

Harry looked out the window of the dormitory, with a sullen look upon his face. Just like expected, he's been regretting that incident with Cho, ever since that day. Now it was a monster in his mind that's been preventing him to sleep at night, eat, do homework, or anything else. He just had to tell her. It was the only way. If he kept this thing inside of him any longer, he was going to be a living zombie at Hogwarts. You could almost see the trace of bags under his eyes and see how much more paler his skin is than usual.

"Whatcha doing Harry?", asked a voice behind him.

"Nothing, Colin.", Harry replied, with a gloomy aura upon him. He didn't even bother to turn around to see who it was, since he became so familiar with that unique high, almost squeaky, voice. He continued to stare out the window.

"Really, Harry? That's cool.", he said, cheerfully. "You know, I like doing nothing sometimes too, especially when I have stress. Relieves the mind." he pointed to his blonde head.

Harry wondered what reasons Colin could have stress for. Homework? He didn't have to worry about Voldemort like he did, or wonder each night where Voldemort was. And Colin certainly didn't have to worry about any secrets... "Right."

"Need any company Harry? You look like you need some laughter right now."

"Uh.."

"Want me to join you, huh?"

Harry just really wanted to be alone. He didn't really feel like talking and he had a feeling that Colin was feeling really chatty today, as he usual is. But then again, he couldn't really say no. No one could really say no to Colin with his big doe-like eyes and big eager grin that was pasted upon him on all times. "Yeah, sure.", he finally answered, reluctantly.

Colin perched himself next to Harry, looking at the spectacular view out the window. "Wow, Hogwarts looks really pretty during Christmas, doesn't it Harry?", he asked in awe. "It gets to me very year, how extraordinary it is."

"I guess."

"That's one of the reasons why I like staying here for Christmas so much. Other reasons, include, of course, the delicious Christmas feast, helping professor Flitwick decorate the humungous Christmas trees, ", he said, and then adding with a grin, "and having conversations with my number one idol, Harry Potter."

"Err..thanks Colin..I think.", he forced a smile. "Not to be rude or anything, but why do you really stay here for Christmas? I mean don't your parents care?"

Colin shrugged. "Not really. They're too busy with Peter to notice me ,anyway."

"Who's Peter?"

For the first time, Harry saw Colin Creevey frown. He instantly knew that he had brought up a touchy subject. "You don't have to say if you don't want to."

Colin shook his head. "No, it's nothing. Peter's just my older brother who lives in America."

"What's with the frown then?"

He didn't speak for a moment. "I just don't like Peter."

"Oh...", Harry said. "Any reason?"

"My mum just likes him better than me, that's it. He's the apple of her eye, you could say.", he replied, turning away from the jet-black haired boy and looking down at his fidgety fingers. "He works at this big deparment in the American Ministry of Magic, and he think he's so smart and important. My mum thinks so too. Sometimes I don't even think she loves me."

Harry was startled at this sudden news and started feeling sympathetic toward this younger boy. Even though, he lived with the Dursleys, the worst sort of people Harry knew, he knew that his parents loved him. They were watching over him right now from Heaven, he was sure. "I'm sure your parents love you ,Colin, and care for you and Peter equally."

"You've never met my parents before, Harry.", Colin said, his voice get a little sadder. "How would you know? Whenever I'm around them, they're always saying, 'Colin, why can't you be more like Peter' or 'Peter wouldn't have ever done that.' Peter this, Peter that. You can't imagine how bad it is when Peter comes home for holidays. They completely ignore me, I tell you. And it's just because he has such an important job in America.", he emphasized 'important' mockingly.

Harry grew silent. He didn't really know what to say. This was a shock to hear Colin pour all of this out of him. He always thought that ,since Colin was normally such a cheerful person that his family life would be perfect. He never knew this about his family. But then again, Harry didn't really know anything about Colin. He was just always Colin, the hyper, short kid with big eyes.

Colin must've noticed how uncomfortable Harry was, and covered his mouth, "I can't believe I actually told you all this. Sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you about my problems.", he apologized.

"It's okay. I didn't mind."

Colin then smiled at Harry and said, "Okay, well I'll be going now…Professor Flitwick wanted me to do something for him, right now, so I guess I'll be leaving..now.", he left the room, before he ,in a second, poked his head again out the door, and said, "Oh, Cho wanted me to tell you that she was going to meet you at the library today at two."

"Why?", he asked, slightly puzzled.

Colin Creevey shrugged, answering, "I dunno. She just told me to tell you that."

Harry frowned to himself, and then felt the butterflies fly into his stomach. There was his chance. His chance to tell Cho. He couldn't have felt any more happy or scared at this moment.

Hp--()--hP--()--Hp--()--hP--()--Hp--()--hP--()--Hp--()--hP--()--Hp

"Hey Harry."

Harry took a seat. "Hey Cho." He watched as she closed her textbook, that she was currently reading, and put down her pencil. Cho folded her arms in front of her chest, and stared at him straight in the eye.

"Harry.."

"Yeah?"

"What did you really want to tell me yesterday? I mean did you think that I really believe you made me come all the way to Hogsmeade so you could ask me if I wanted another butterbeer?"

"Uh..well.", Cho interrupted him.

"And, don't you think you can tell me? I mean is it something bad. Like are you sick or something and you're gonna die in six months? Is that it?"

"Not exa-"

She cut him off once more, "Plus, if you're worried that I'll tell anybody, I won't. I'll keep it a secret. My lips are sealed."

"You see-"

"And don't worry, I won't laugh if it's something embarrassing.", she stopped to see that Harry was getting annoyed, and giggled. "I get so babbly sometimes. Sorry. Anyway tell me what you were going to say."

"Finally.", he muttered. His face turned solemn. "Cho, I'm…"

"Yeah?", hoping this time he would go through it.

He looked around to see if anyone was listening in on to their conversation, "Okay, I'm..", he whispered his secret into her ear.

Cho's eyes widened as he spoke the words to her. Her mouth gaping open, she felt herself go, 'WHATT?' He drew back, anxious to see her reaction. "Are you serious?", she said her voice going into a whisper. Harry slowly nodded.

She stayed like that for a few seconds before she screamed, "OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Everyone turned around to stare at the couple, including the glaring Mrs. Pince, Hogwart's librarian. Harry turned red, and smiled uneasily at the staring students. "Sorry.", he apologized. Everyone turned around, getting back to their work, muttering amongst themselves. "Cho!", he hissed. "What did you do that for?"

Cho, who had finally registered the information in her brain calmly, said, "Harry, you're..you mean.."

He sighed. "Yeah." He knew it. He knew that she couldn't handle it. Now she was going to shun him and never speak to him again. She might even tell everyone else in the school. What was Hermione and Ron going to say?

Then, very unexpectedly, she broke out into a grin. "I can't believe it!"

Harry frowned at her. "You're okay with this?"

She nodded. "Harry, Harry, Harry,", she tsked. "did you think that this was going to change our friendship?", still grinning.

"Uh…yeah, sorta.."

She patted him on the back. "Then you don't know me as well as you think, then. Harry, I don't have a problem with this."

"Really?"

"Totally. I don't really care. Although…", she slightly scowled. "Once Malfoy hears this, he's going to pick on you more and might even, I dunno..might even turn some people against you."

Harry snorted. "Like I care what Malfoy thinks. It's not like he's going to know. You won't tell anybody right?", he reassured.

"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.", she pledged.

"Good."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Does Ron and Hermione know?"

Okay I think I'm just going to leave it like that. -Evil Grin- Did you really think that I would tell you Harry's secret this chapter? I think not….

And that scene with Colin Creevey and Harry, I just I do it since there aren't a lot of scenes in the books with Harry and Colin. What do we know about Colin anyway? He's not mentioned a lot in the books except for book 2. What about the hyper, short kid with the big eyes?

Anyway fingers hurt from typing so much….must stop…. Later guys. And 'member REVIEW!


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